


Her Second Life

by DawnofHearts



Series: Sunlight Reaching Towards the Leaf [1]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Dreams, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluff, Post-Canon, Probably too slow oops, Slow Burn, Texting, phantom thieves support group
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2019-06-14 11:20:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15387651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DawnofHearts/pseuds/DawnofHearts
Summary: They say the road to success is going to have a lot of holes and rocks to trip on. You're supposed to trip a bunch now so that you learn to trip less later on.My Persona was a UFO. Then it was a giant floating head. Can I just not?(About three weeks after Akira heads back to his hometown, Futaba's first day of school begins.)





	Her Second Life

**Author's Note:**

> The asterisks (*****) indicate a change in time, location or both.
> 
> I used Akira Kurusu because I actually started working on this way before Amamiya Ren was announced as the canon name and it's too late to change~ Will contain spoilers for Persona 5!
> 
> I'll save everything else I have to say for the end notes! I hope you enjoy!

_“They’re not just Phantom Thieves anymore! That’s like some super demon lord, so awesome!” cried one of the Japanese citizens watching from below. Oracle and the rest of the Phantom Thieves couldn’t disagree as they gazed upon the gigantic being descending behind them. With its dark wings, black clothing, deep red eyes, its yellow mask and most notably, the giant gun on its side, this new Persona made a lasting impression._

_“That’s-” Fox started to talk but couldn’t finish, the awe taking his voice away._

_“Man, it’s huge!” Skull exclaimed, unable to think of anything else._

_Queen and Panther both tried to say something like “What in the world?” but in their amazement, could only stand in silence and watch. Noir managed to utter a “Wow,” though it was quite difficult for her. Oracle could only smile at their leader’s constant ability to surprise everyone around him._

_“What an immense power…! No way… Is it a Persona…?” Mona questioned. The sheer amount of strength radiating from it spoke of a god. Like the one standing in front of them, Yaldabaoth. No, even stronger than that. It would be suffocating if it didn’t feel so… pleasant. Small particles of light had begun to float all around them, giving the platform they had made their final stand on a beautiful glow. As these particles touched the Phantom Thieves, all their wounds started to fade and their exhaustion gave way to a feeling of comfort._

_None of them knew how long they had been fighting the God of Control, but it was without a doubt a battle that put their endurance to the ultimate test. While Joker and Oracle eventually figured out that destroying its arms would weaken it, it proved to be for naught when it grew them back a few minutes later. Using every attack and possible strategy they could, the Thieves had lasted quite a while. No one watching could have said anything but praise as these eight teenagers fought off a literal deity for hours. Which is why these healing particles were the best relief. Each of them had gone far beyond their limits in this battle. Far beyond any of them had known possible. As their strength recovered, the people of Tokyo continued to cheer them on._

_“You can do it, Phantom Thieves!”_

_“Kick its ass, Phantom Thieves!”_

_“Seriously, how cool is this thing?”_

_“They are so strong right now!”_

_The group stopped looking at the demon lord behind them and turned to face their leader, who never looked away from Yaldabaoth. He had nothing but full faith in what he summoned. While they could only see his back, each of them knew that Joker wore a look of absolute determination on his face._

_Mona chuckled. “I see. If a god plays naughty, then it’s a demon lord’s duty to punish him. What better way is there for a finale as a Trickster!”_

_The Phantom Thieves and all of Tokyo could only agree. Oracle had to wonder if Joker purposely chose to summon this specific Persona or if it was the actual representation of all of their strength. Joker did have a knack for aesthetic after all._

_Mona continued on. “Joker, we’re entrusting our strength and the people’s hope to you! Put an end to this!”_

_Joker gave a quick nod, already aware of what he had to do. Raising his hand, he gathered the rest of the particles towards him. As they flocked together into his hand, he clenched his fist and finally turned back towards his team. He had been through it all with this group of troublemakers and, without a doubt, truly loved all of them. He looked each member in the eye, starting with Skull, who gave a thumbs-up only a bro could. Panther was next, her response being a smile and a peace sign. Fox nodded towards his leader. Queen put her fist up in victory. Noir gave a little giggle as he looked at her. His gaze then moved to Mona next, who crossed his arms in pride of the Phantom Thieves he found and raised. Lastly, there was Oracle._

_No, not Oracle, but Futaba. As Akira’s gaze locked onto her, she felt her heart pounding furiously once more. She had no words for the status effect he always put on her, but she knew it was way too powerful._

_Their relationship began about two months ago. October 15th to be exact. The day Akira confessed his love for her. The day her heart nearly exploded from her own feelings. They went through much together to help Futaba conquer her social anxiety. He assisted in finishing her promise list and even went to the Metaverse by himself to save her best friend and her father. The former shut-in didn’t know much about how love or people worked, but even she found it strange that he had done so much for her. When she questioned Akira about it, he dropped the “I love you” bomb and it was an absolute critical hit._

_She understood then that her feelings for him were definitely real. That her reaction to his first head pat made perfect sense. And when she realized that meant they would be boyfriend and girlfriend, Futaba.exe crashed for so long, Akira had actually gotten worried that her heart stopped! Since then, they had gone on various dates together, Futaba doing her best to be a good girlfriend for this amazing person, her boyfriend. She heard love was the most intense joy in the world and she truly knew what that meant whenever she was with Akira. Whether it was playing video games, going to an amusement park, trying to conquer her social fears or just talking about her favorite anime in her room, it never mattered to Futaba what they were doing as long as they were together._

_Despite his quiet personality, she knew Akira felt the same way. That’s what seemed to be the craziest part. She never could have imagined anyone falling for her a few months ago, much less coming out of her room. If you had told Futaba in June that she would be reintegrating herself back into society and going to school in a few months, she would have sent multiple laughter emojis and went back to her anime. But it was real. Her life was being put back together. It was all because this sixteen year-old boy moved into her dad’s place, felt a desire to change society and eventually stole her heart. Twice. She would never be able to repay him for it, but she wouldn’t mind spending as long as she could trying to. As long as she was by his side, she felt like she could do anything, go anywhere and conquer it all._

_Finally snapping out of her trance, Futaba realized Akira was smiling at her. Only at her. With their teammates around them, all of Tokyo below them, a demon lord behind them and a god in front of them, he still gave that goofy, teeth-filled smile he saved just for her. Her heart skipped a couple of beats._

_With no hesitation, Futaba removed the goggles from her face and held both hands to her chest. With cheeks flushed bright pink, she gave her boyfriend the most affectionate smile she could muster. She felt like the luckiest person in the world. As if her luck stat was at maximum and she used a Limit Break to take it beyond that. This was love. This was what it meant to be in love. Her happiness at being able to have this experience knew no end._

_With one final nod to his girlfriend and his best friends, Akira turned and faced Yaldabaoth once more. He knew what he had to do. He was prepared._

_This was the same determination that told him to try to stop a drunk Masayoshi Shido from having his way with that woman._

_The same determination that told him to try and change the corrupted hearts of society._

_The same determination that told him to accept the death of Goro Akechi, someone he had… mixed feelings about._

_The same determination that told him to proceed forward on his path with absolutely no regrets._

_This was his justice._

_With a wave of his arm and all the resolve in the universe, Joker cried, “ Pillage him, Satanael!” As he began to pull his gun out of its holster, Satanael, lord of the underworld, did the same. Both guns were aimed at the God of Control, no doubt or hesitation holding them back. Joker put his finger on the trigger and was seconds away from firing._

_“Preposterous! You dare rob the people’s wishes?” Yaldabaoth made one last comment in defense. He was out of options and was sorely outmatched by this demon lord._

_With a grunt of pure denial, Joker only had one thing to say._

_“Begone!” And so he pulled the trigger, shattering Yaldabaoth’s head and-_

 

“ _Moeagare, Featherman!_ ” The _Phoenix Ranger Featherman R_ theme song put an abrupt end to Futaba Sakura’s dream as it blasted loudly across the room.

“Yeah, pillage his face!” She yelled as she sat up, clearly still in the moment. The teen blinked a couple of times to complete her journey to consciousness. As the platform of the final battle gave way to the familiar setting of her room, Futaba let off a huge yawn. The lack of sleep fully settled in and her exhaustion became quite apparent.

“Ten more minutes...” she mumbled with another yawn. Setting her alarm for ten minutes later, Futaba drifted off back to sleep, this time holding one of her pillows close to her.

Five minutes into her second rest, however, Futaba’s phone started playing a different song. Instead of the upbeat, intense guitar of the Phoenix Ranger theme, it was a slower, more relaxed piece. Calm drum beats and bass guitar began to fill the room, leaving Futaba to grumble incoherently in irritation. She almost moved to turn it off before remembering exactly what this song was.

It came from the soundtrack of one of her favorite action anime. The theme played during moments of reflection and relaxation, when the main characters could unwind and think about how much they’ve done so far and what they have left to do. She used to listened to it as a stress reliever and a distraction when the hallucinations were too strong. Now though, it felt like a way to show her progress after completing her promise list. The song always left her with a joyful feeling, no matter what time of day or what was happening.

After Futaba realized that she had a similar feeling whenever she interacted with a certain person, she changed his ringtone to this song in a heartbeat. She hadn’t told him about it yet and wasn’t sure when she was. It felt really embarrassing for some reason. Then again, he was always making her feel embarrassed. Along with a myriad of other feelings.

Such as in this current moment. Futaba’s sleepiness lost its power as excitement started to bubble up within. She held up her phone and sure enough, the words “Key Item” flashed in bright green letters.  The smile barely got to spread across her face before she eagerly swiped her phone screen to answer.

“Boyfriend! I am in desperate need of a stat boost!” Her drowsiness was no match for the happiness present in her voice as she talked to her partner-in-crime.

“You’re looking quite beautiful today,” Akira Kurusu said with a yawn. Although Futaba couldn’t see it, the smile on his face was just as wide as hers.

The out-of-nowhere compliment wrecked Futaba’s speaking ability instantly. Her cheeks turning pink, she stammered out something that almost resembled the word “What.” Akira couldn’t help the slight chuckle he let out as Futaba continued her violation of spoken language for a few more seconds. With a deep breath, the young girl regained her stat points in communication.

“W-what are you saying so early in the morning?! You haven’t even seen what I look like today!” Futaba exclaimed. She leaned against the wall, taking care not to stretch or tear the Featherman R poster that was placed there. She grabbed one of her pillows and held it close to her once more.

“By now, I don’t think I need to see you to know how striking you are, Futaba-tan,” Akira said with that tiny hint of playfulness he used so often.

“Y-you cheater,” Futaba muttered. He always knew exactly what to say.

“Was that stat boost strong enough to wake you up?” Her boyfriend continued with another chuckle.

“How could I not with a round start like that? You’re getting too strong…” Futaba thought about how she could get back at him. Akira was almost always calm and collected though. It would be difficult, especially while they were hours away from each other. She pushed the idea in the back of her mind.

“We probably shouldn’t have been up that late though. I’m not used to getting so little sleep.” Akira said, yawning once more.

“Three hours of sleep is better than zero in my book. Preeeetty sure we still managed to get the victory here.” Futaba claimed with full confidence.

Akira could only sigh. She did have a point. Futaba spent all of yesterday getting ready for school. As it was going to be her first day in about three years, the eagerness in the young girl was something no one had ever seen. He could only imagine the look on Sojiro’s face as she scrambled about for the entire day, gathering her school supplies, getting her uniform ready and making sure she remembered all the school tips she looked up on the internet. After texting Akira, she went to sleep quite early. Or at least tried to. Her anticipation turned into a strange mix of excitement and anxiety, a deadly combo that destroyed any chance of sleep Futaba could have gotten.

After some time of tossing and turning in bed, Futaba came to the conclusion that the only way to calm herself and get some rest would be to talk about everything on her mind. And who could be better for that than her Key Item? She called Akira and the couple spent the next few hours talking about Shujin Academy. It was the school she would be attending as well as the school Akira attended last year with Ann, Ryuji, Makoto and Haru. More importantly, the pair made a whole new promise list for Futaba to complete. It was not a monthly one like the lists she used to do with her mother. This promise list had no time limit, so Futaba could take as much time as she needed with each goal.

She didn’t tell him but she aimed to finish every goal before Golden Week, which gave her almost two months. While he wouldn’t tell her the reward she would get upon completion, she was promised something extraordinary. Akira was a person who never let down on his promises and she wanted that reward as soon as possible. With that, she had all the motivation needed and her worries calmed. Futaba was finally able to get some rest. For about three hours.

“I concede. Still, let’s get to bed at a decent time today. Sleep is crucial after all. Very crucial” Akira said in a peculiar, slightly-distant tone. Seems like he’s been learning from Morgana, Futaba thought to herself.

“Roger that,” Futaba yawned out. Either way, she had to agree. The young girl had gotten accustomed to not sleeping back when the nightmares were much more frequent. In order to distract herself, she would stay on the internet or play video games for most of the night, usually with a snack and a soda beside her. She would keep going as long as she could until her eyes could no longer endure the pain of being awake. Sojiro usually came in her room the following morning to see her asleep at the computer desk.

After confronting herself, accepting the truth and gaining her Persona, the nightmares occurred a lot less. They never fully went away, but Futaba, more often than not, got a good night's sleep, even more so recently. Granted, she generally stayed up all night and woke up well into the afternoon, but she still got a solid seven or eight hours. The former navigator made a mental note to go to bed earlier tonight if she could.

“Okay then,” Akira started. Any sign of sleepiness or exhaustion in his voice suddenly vanished, as if it was only a figment of Futaba’s imagination. “Futaba Sakura!”

“Y-yes?!” Futaba was shocked by the sudden outburst of her normally-calm boyfriend.

“Your mission is to recite the plan to me one more time! Without fail! Now!” Although he sounded like a completely different person, she caught on to what he was doing.

“Sir, yes sir! After this phone call, I will take a shower to get myself clean and awake. Then I’ll change into my uniform and head to Leblanc! Sojiro will make me a nice breakfast and drive me to Shujin Academy! Once I get out the car, I will have the greatest first day of school mankind has ever seen! It’s been a couple of years but I’m prepared. I can do this!”

Even though Akira was quite the distance away, Futaba still felt the need to put her straightened hand towards her forehead in salute. Some time ago, she had him read some lines from a protagonist in one of her favorite anime as a joke and ever since, he would act like that character at random, leaving her both frightened and excited.

“Yeah you can. I know you got this,” Akira shifted back to his regular self rather quickly, nothing but confidence in his voice now.

“...Thanks.” She couldn’t form another word to say, as touched as she was. All she wanted at this moment was to show her gratitude by holding him as tightly as possible. She wanted to say how much she missed him but the words wouldn’t show themselves. Other than Akira’s slow breaths, there was only silence. The quiet was the opposite of uncomfortable though. The two had spent many silent moments together hand-in-hand, simply appreciating that the other was there at all.

The peace inevitably came to an end with Akira’s sigh.

“Alright, you should get going now. As someone who was late on his first day, I can tell you the experience isn’t fun.” Futaba didn’t miss the reluctance in his voice and shared the sentiment. That did remind her though. There was something she had to do first.

“Hold on a second! What about you?” The volume in her voice went quite high as she asked the question.

“Me?”

“Yeah, dummy! What are your plans for today?! Can’t believe I almost forgot.” She hoped the intensity in her voice told him how much this meant to her. The young girl got off the wall and went into her classic sitting position, which was basically a squat.

“Oh right. My bad,” Akira apologized with a small laugh.

“Yeah, your bad. I told you I’m not letting you off so easy. Now spill the loot!”

Akira was the kind of person who went through life in quiet. He rarely talked unless spoken to and the conversations were usually quick. It wasn’t like he was shy. He became friends with the various people he formed contracts with during his time in Tokyo after all. There was one thing he never talked about though. Himself. He brought up the incident with him getting arrested because of Shido but that was about it. None of the Thieves could have really said they knew what Akira’s previous life was like until the road trip a few weeks ago.

Futaba knew this was how Akira wanted it to be. The former shut-in girl understood well that privacy should be given if it’s wanted. But she also knew from experience that sometimes, stepping over that comfort zone is exactly what needs to be done. And after the time with Akechi, the time with his parents and especially the time he turned himself in without telling her, Futaba reasoned that he should talk more about himself and his feelings. To take steps towards that, the couple made a deal to keep each other updated on the day and how they were feeling at the end of it. Of course, the moment either of them became uncomfortable with that, all they would have to do is say the word.

It was no bother to Akira at all. He undoubtedly trusted his girlfriend and was most comfortable talking to her about anything. However, he always had a natural instinct to avoid talking about himself as much as he could. Even around her, it wasn’t an easy habit to drop. He did promise her he would work on it though, and so there he was, talking about his activities for the day.

“I’ll be doing the usual stuff. Job-hunting, exercising, getting ready for school. I’ll probably order some takeout later. Morgana wants to check out a movie that came out last week. It seems like a decent action flick but it doesn’t really interest me. First though, I’m definitely going back to sleep once we’re done talking.”

“Speaking of Mona, I’m surprised I haven’t heard him meow about being woken up yet,” Futaba let out a cute grunt of approval.

“He woke up during our conversation last night and went to sleep in the living room after _a lot_ of complaining. Tired and angry Morgana is a sight to see,” Akira responded with an amused tone. She could already see the smugness on his face and couldn’t help the chuckle that came from her mouth.

“Yikes. But he should know the cons of having a roommate with a girlfriend. Remind me to get him some apology sushi during your next visit.”

“Haha, will do. I’ll chip in too.”

“But anyways, you’re seeing _Tools of Destruction,_ right?! I’ve been wanting to see that one. It’s actually a live-action adaptation of this classic battle manga and while it probably sucks, it’s worth checking out for the way the director said he-”

“Futaba. School. Late.” Akira’s reminder was sharp despite the desire to listen to another one of Futaba’s ramblings.

“Fineeee. But I am definitely telling you about the movie later.” The excitement in her voice didn’t die down at all.

“Yeah, I can’t wait. You’ll also be telling me about the greatest first day of school mankind has ever known, right?”

“You bet. Wish me luck!”

“You won’t need it. I love you.” The amount of faith Akira had in her nearly stole Futaba’s words right out her mouth.

With a small giggle, her response came straight from the heart.

“Y-you I love too! Let’s both have a great day today!”

Akira hung up the call. Futaba stared at her screen for just a moment longer, as if doing so would transport her boyfriend right next to her. With a sigh, she set her phone aside and got out of bed.

“You can do this, Futaba. People believe in you so you should believe in yourself more.” Rapidly clapping both cheeks, Futaba let the motivation flow into her. She was prepared for this. She got off her bed and walked up to her curtains. The glow-in-the-dark star design always left her with a sense of safety and security but that wasn’t what she needed in this moment.

Futaba pulled back her curtains and let the sunshine invade her sanctuary. The last time she did this was months ago, after the heist of Sae Niijima’s Palace. The Phantom Thieves let Akira get arrested in order to trick their enemy into thinking that he was dead as well as confirm exactly who that enemy was. It was a seriously dangerous scramble that could have gone wrong in so many ways. At the time, Futaba needed the sunset’s rays to relax. To tell herself that Akira was looking at the same sky and would be home soon. Having to pretend to go back to her daily life while her boyfriend could have been dead was genuinely one of the most trying things Futaba had done. The radio announcing that the leader of the Phantom Thieves committed suicide certainly didn’t help any. She pushed through it, however, and Akira made it back safe.

This time though, Futaba used the rising sun as reinforcement. She let herself bask in the light, a sense of willpower filling her as the warmth spread throughout her body. She closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. She was willing to take on the world. She had helped defeat a god and saved the entirety of Japan after all. School should be nothing to her. Futaba opened her eyes, put her hands to her hips and firmly nodded for affirmation.  Her resolve steeled, the former navigator closed the curtain once more and headed towards the door out her room. From her lips came a phrase she hadn’t said in a long time.

“Alright, let’s get moving!”

 

*********

 

A shower and a blow-dry session later, Futaba stood in her room once more, towel wrapped tightly around her small frame. A slight nervousness hung in the air as she stared at the Shujin Academy uniform hanging on her door handle.

_Come on, dummy. Both Akira and Sojiro said you look great. Just put the damn clothes on already!_

Quickly shaking her head to get rid of the doubt (and some of the water still in her hair), Futaba grabbed the school clothes and proceeded to rapidly put them on. When was the last time she wore a skirt? Definitely before her mom’s death. After she stopped going out of her room, the young girl realized just how much more comfortable shorts and pants were than skirts. The plain white shirt also felt extremely boring to her, someone who loved having designs on her shirts.

Thankfully, Shujin’s uniform policy was quite loose, allowing students to wear whatever they wanted as long as the boys kept their plaid pants and the girls their plaid skirt. Up top, you either needed the Shujin blazer or the shirt with Shujin’s emblem. Ryuji, Ann, Makoto and Haru all wore their uniforms in unique ways that definitely matched their style. Akira was the only one who wore his uniform in the classic way but that turned out to be a perfect fit for him. After discussing it with everyone (even Ryuji) and thinking for quite some time, Futaba eventually decided on how she was going to wear her uniform.

Despite some struggling, the high schooler’s uniform was fully on. With a long breath, Futaba took a peak at the mirror. At the person going to school for the first time in forever.

Maybe it was due to her height, but the first thing Futaba noticed was her boots. They were the same brand of knee-high boots she usually wore but Sojiro decided to buy her a new pair, saying a fresh start needs fresh clothing. These weren’t broken in yet and felt a little tight, but familiar and comfortable nonetheless. The combo of knee-high boots and thigh-highs is what she felt most accustomed to after all.

The teen giggled as she remembered how much Sojiro practically begged her to wear stockings instead. There was some grumbling about how “If some idiot tried to take a peek under my little girl’s skirt, there’s no telling what I’d do to him.” Sojiro’s concern was sweet but Futaba knew stockings would not be her thing. She tried them on sometime ago and immediately felt how stuffy and uncomfortable they were. She would have to practice better sitting habits if she was going to be wearing a skirt though. Something to talk about with Ann, Haru and Makoto for sure.

Next was the plaid skirt. Futaba couldn’t help but grimace. It had a somewhat cute appeal but skirts were never her style. Ann said she’ll get used to it in no time. Hopefully no time meant about one minute or so. Still, the black and red colors were nice at least. A blush formed across the girl’s face as she recalled how Akira had somehow persuaded her into sending him a video of her twirling with the skirt on. It was totally embarrassing for Futaba and it only got more embarrassing after the barrage of compliments she received. She had no idea how many times he nearly made her heart stop, but that was another point for him.

“He still owes me some shrimp, that dummy…” Futaba muttered to herself as she remembered the deal they made for that video. Admittedly, Akira and Sojiro’s compliments helped ease her fears. The skirt was Futaba’s biggest worry when when her uniform came in and she was glad it looked at least decent on her.

From the waist up though, Futaba felt much more confident. She even struck a pose for a moment, doing a peace sign to match the big grin she currently wore. After trying on Akira’s blazer a few months ago and loving it (Of course, his was too big for her tiny body), she knew she had to get one herself. Similar to Ryuji, she decided to keep her buttons open. The shirt she wore under it, however, was her classic asterisk shirt. The red splatter design went well with the plaid skirt. The young girl wasn’t sure how well the off-shoulder would have gone with school policy so she made sure to order a different version with short sleeves beforehand.

To top it off, she wore her usual headphones, their black and red color matching perfectly with the rest of the outfit. Having your headphones on during class was typically banned but apparently Sojiro had a talk with the principal and pulled some strings. Futaba was given special permission to keep her headphones on, as long as she was paying attention in class. With her near-perfect memory, she knew that wouldn’t be a problem. She was grateful that she got to keep her headphones too. For one thing, the aesthetic it provided made her feel cool. For another, it helped a lot with her mental troubles. Especially on the train or walking in a crowded area. The music allowed her to relax a little and calmly push through any anxiety she would start to feel. She didn’t know how she would feel in a classroom, but the headphones would provide comfort nevertheless.

Futaba’s uniform was complete. With a sigh of satisfaction and one last look in the mirror, the young girl walked over to her backpack.

_Pencils. Pens. Notebooks. Folders. Calculator. This month’s manga. 3DS. Vita. All three portable chargers. Hmm._ Futaba thought about anything else she might need. She already had everything necessary for school and for her entertainment. Maybe her laptop? No, that would be a bit too much. There was also the slight fear of anything on her laptop being seen by a classmate. Leaving it home would be for the best.

Futaba slipped her duffel bag on, locked her door and headed towards the exit. Sojiro should be in LeBlanc getting ready to open up so she started the usual walk towards the restaurant. There was no way she was going to start the day off without curry and Sojiro was driving her to school anyways. The streets of Yongen, which usually had a familiar and comfortable feeling, seemed slightly weird today. The young girl shrugged it off and continued at a leisurely pace. In a few minutes, Futaba stood in front of Cafe Leblanc.

The sign on the door was flipped to closed but she could see the lights on inside. Futaba smiled to herself. _Nobody inside except for Sojiro. Exactly the way I like it._ With no hesitation, Futaba bursted through the door, nearly giving her adoptive father a heart attack.

“Sojiro! I hunger!” Futaba yelled that familiar phrase once again.

“Try not to come in like that again. Having to get the door fixed would be a giant pain.” Sojiro gave her a stern look but it couldn’t hold against the view of his daughter, excited and smiling in her uniform. Despite seeing it just a few hours ago, the old man still had his breath taken away.

Futaba’s attention was immediately drawn to the large plate of curry waiting at the counter. She could tell it was freshly made by the smoke coming off and rising towards the ceiling. A cup of orange juice stood majestically by its side, ready to be consumed at a moment’s notice. The familiar scent both eased and thrilled her all at once. Futaba ran from the door to the counter, sat down and got a spoon in hand with a speed Sojiro didn’t know was possible from her tiny body. No matter how many times he saw it, the chef was always happy when his little girl was excited by the food he made.

“I almost went for pancakes instead but figured you would like the classic. It’s a good way to celebrate your first day of school.” Futaba made a noise that the old man could only interpret as approval. Sojiro’s pancakes are delicious but nothing beats the curry.

“Anyways, what took you so long? I almost thought you were still asleep,” Sojiro asked her.

“My bah! I wah hawfing fo Ahira!” Futaba had already gotten a giant bite in her mouth. Sojiro had no idea what she said but he could only shake his head and sigh in reply.

“Take your time. The curry is fresh and we still got a bit before we need to go. You don’t have to wolf it down like that. The orange juice is right there when you need it.”

Instantaneously, Futaba needed it. Trying to talk with that huge bite of curry was a little more than she could handle. She grabbed the cup and took a big gulp, preventing what would have been a pretty funny disaster. Sojiro could only look on in bewilderment.

“Brings a whole new meaning to ‘So good you could die for.’ I was almost a goner!” Futaba took another sip of her orange juice.

“No, that’s just what happens when you take an enormous bite and try to talk,” Sojiro responded.

With a breath of relief, Futaba repeated what she tried to say earlier. “Anyways, my bad! I was talking to Akira. He called to make sure I was awake.”

“That kid…” Sojiro was glad he was looking out for her. He still had mixed feeling about their relationship but after everything that happened, he knew Akira could be trusted. “How’s he doing, by the way?”

“He’s still job-hunting but he’s doing great. School starts in a week for him so he’s getting ready for that too. We’re all leveling up here!” Sojiro always noticed how much bigger the smile on Futaba’s face got whenever Akira was mentioned.

“Good for him. His grades last year were pretty good so I know he’ll be fine.”

Futaba nodded in agreement and continued to wolf down her curry, stopping occasionally to drink some orange juice. All Sojiro could do was sigh. His daughter only ever moved at her pace, much like her mother. That thought brought a smile to his face and some nostalgia to his heart.

“Watch her closely, Wakaba. She’s going far,” Sojiro muttered to himself.

“Wha wah thaf?” Futaba asked, sauce oozing out the side of her mouth.

“Just talking to myself. For the love of God, slow down before you choke again. We still got a couple of minutes.”

Futaba, of course, did not slow down. The pair engaged in idle conversation (well, Futaba spat out words and Sojiro tried his best to understand her) until Futaba finished her breakfast. Sojiro then locked up and the two drove off in his car. To Shujin Academy and to Futaba’s first day of school.

 

*********

 

“Traffic’s looking a little rough. We should still make it on time though.,” Sojiro said in approval. Those were the first words said ever since they entered the car ten minutes ago. There was no sound from Futaba, quite the contrast from when she was stuffing her face with curry. The air around the family was filled with awkward quiet. After stopping for a red light, he turned once more to look at her in the passenger seat. Her position hadn’t changed since the last time. The former thief’s eyes were facing out the window, elbow on the side, chin in her palm and in the window reflection, a look of wonder staring back at her.

With a small breath, Sojiro started up the conversation. Anything was better than this silence. “All good, Futaba? You haven’t said a word since we got in the car.” He remembered how frantic she was the day before and couldn’t imagine how much her thoughts must be swirling around right now.

Futaba’s head snapped up, as if she had just woken up from an immersive dream.”Eh?! Oh. Mhmm,” the young girl replied quietly, eyes still facing the window. “The morning rush looks exactly like it did years ago, huh? So many people heading for school or work or wherever their day’s going. And I’m one of them now.”

“Yeah. You’re moving on to the next step in your life. A lot has happened over the past year and you’ve become a lot braver despite that. I’m proud of you. I know Wakaba would be too,” Sojiro stated with no hesitation.

Futaba finally turned to look at her father. The noiselessness could almost be seen as the two family members stared at each other. Futaba’s face couldn’t be read at all, her expression the very definition of blank. What was on her mind, Sojiro pondered. He wanted to help her out as much as possible but he was never really good at these sort of things. That was part of the reason why he felt helpless back during her shut-in days. Even with Akira, he usually just said what he felt was best at the time. What if he offended her somehow? Futaba’s face remained sturdy for a moment before the tiniest chortle came out. It quickly evolved, bursting into full-on laughter in a matter of seconds.

“Where did all that cheesiness come from? Training to become a life coach, Sojiro?” Futaba’s expression softened considerably as she teased her dad.

“Heh. Just said the first thing that came to mind.” Sojiro responded with a short laugh.

The light hit green and the driver had to focus on the road once more. Futaba’s gaze turned back towards the window, where the morning rush of Tokyo continued on.

“Thanks though. Seriously. I’m so happy I could take on an army right now. At the same time though… I’m pretty scared. School wasn’t exactly the most fun place before,” Futaba made no attempt to hide her frown as her thoughts were sent back to her early school days.

_“No way you memorized all those book titles! What a liar!”_

_“She actually remembered all of them? What a freak! Get away from her or you might get infected!”_

_“Sensei! Are you sure Isshiki didn’t use her alien powers to get another 100 on the test? You might want to probe her and make sure!”_

“Wakaba used to tell me that your grades were perfect for the most part. Did your classmates make fun of you for it?” Sojiro’s words took Futaba away from those unpleasant memories. Even though his eyes were on the road, Sojiro’s attention was fully on his daughter.

“Yeah. I got made fun of for getting the best scores in class all the time. I was always the weird one and it sucked. I know I’m not the same person as before but… I just don’t want high school to be a repeat of that,” Futaba answered with a sigh. Her eyes were facing downwards again, this time at the skirt she didn’t like wearing.

Sojiro grunted at the thought of his little girl getting bullied. “Well, let me tell you that high schoolers are a little more mature than elementary and middle schoolers. Just a little though.” That drew a giggle from Futaba.

Sojiro continued. “And you already know what I’m about to say next. Don’t worry about what anyone thinks about you. You have a good heart and you’re a genius. If anyone has a problem with that, they’re an idiot. I know a good way to handle idiots.” His grip on the wheel tightened as he talked.

“Ooooh, Sojiro the Strong! You would definitely be a Fighting type. Less focus on defense but your speed and attack would be so OP! You could definitely knock out an enemy with a single Mach Punch!” The smile returned to Futaba’s face as she imagined Sojiro punching a Shadow in the face at high speed. Kinda like what Makoto used to do.

“I…uh… sure. I guess,” Sojiro shook his head, having long ago accepted that he would have no idea what Futaba was talking about half the time.

“As much as I want to see that though, it’s alright. I doubt things are going to be as bad as elementary school and even if they are, I gotta fight my own battles. I _was_ a Phantom Thief after all. If I can navigate the entire team to victory, I can do the same for myself,” said Futaba, confidence soaring with every word. “I’m not gonna let a little doubt scare me away!”

Sojiro nodded in approval. “You got it. Your friends are gonna be there with you too, right?”

“Mhmm. Ryuji and Ann are third-years now, but we can still hang out during lunch and after class. Oh and Yusuke can meet up with us after he’s done with his classes too. Haru and Makoto go to universities nearby so we’ll still be able to- Whoa, crap!” Futaba suddenly stopped in surprise, as if she had been slapped in the face. The young teen immediately began to rummage through her pockets.

“What’s wrong, Futaba?!” Sojiro lost his focus and nearly bumped into the car in front. He barely noticed he had reached another red light.

Futaba’s tone was slightly angry. “I completely forgot to check my phone today! Geez, this is what happens when you don’t get a lot of sleep.” After pulling her phone out, she instantly began to check her websites. From social media to blogs to stories, to news on various anime, manga, books or games, Futaba went through the list of sites she checks at least twice a day.

“You know it’s a good idea to not scare the driver when you’re in a car. You almost made us crash!” Sojiro tried to admonish her but Futaba’s attention was fully on her phone. The old man could only sigh and keep driving.

“We would have been fine. I have a really high luck stat after all.” Futaba’s eyes remained on her phone as she talked.

Sojiro sighed once more and continued to drive. “Well, we’re almost there at least. I’d say about five or ten more minutes.”

Futaba nodded in approval. “Nice! Oooh, the group chat is pretty active now! And Kana-chan sent me a message too!” The tech wizard pulled up her Messaging app and saw that the Phantom Thief group chat notifications were booming and that Kana-chan, her recently-reunited friend from elementary school, sent her a text as well. She knew that checking the group chat would take way longer so she checked the message from Kana-chan first.

 

_2 Unread Messages since 7:04 AM on 04/10/2017_

 

**_Kanana’s Buried Treasure:_ ** Futaba-chan! This is the day we’ve both been looking forward to since the dawn of mankind! Let’s both do our best, okay? And let me know how it goes. School is gonna be a piece of cake for troopers like us!

**_Kanana’s Buried Treasure:_ ** <(❛ヮ❛✿)>

 

Futaba’s grin was nothing but genuine. The only person who could match her power level in emojis was Kana-chan. It was going to be her first day of school as well and they had a quite long talk about it yesterday afternoon. They weren’t too surprised to find out that they both felt the same way about going back. The best friends promised to do their best and support each other throughout everything. Futaba started typing at her phone screen to respond to Kana-chan, reminded of how glad she was that they got to reconnect after so long.

 

**_HoneyOTU:_ ** Thanks a bunch, Kana-chan! If anything, we’ll body the school system so hard, it’ll have to upgrade its whole curriculum. But the same goes for you, alright? Keep me updated on how it goes! I already know we both got this!

**_HoneyOTU:_ ** (ง •ૅ౪•᷄)ว

               

“Mwehehe,” Futaba giggled, already seeing Kana-chan’s reaction to that emoji. With that, she exited out her childhood friend’s texts and went to check on the Phantom Thieves group chat. Surprisingly, it was still being updated with new messages.

 

_Group Chat:_ _We Finessed God and Society_ _Online: 6_

_Offline: 2_

_90 Unread Messages since 6:50 AM on 04/10/2017_

 

**_Spiky Mom:_ ** Good morning, everyone.

**_Spiky Mom:_ ** I hope you’re all ready for your first day back to class.

**_Skull Bash:_ ** Ugh. Vacation ended waaaay too quick. I miss my bed already.

**_Dumbass Inari:_ ** I am glad school is starting again. It’s a chance to broaden our horizons and see what possibilities await us.

**_Beauty Cat:_ ** Morning, guys!

**_Garden Princess:_ ** Good morning, everyone! I trust you all slept well and are prepared to take on the school year.

**_Skull Bash:_ ** Makoto and Haru, why are you guys even awake? I thought university didn’t start for another two weeks?

**_Garden Princess:_ ** I check up on my garden at home every morning. Besides, sleeping too late isn’t ideal for your health, Ryu-kun, especially with classes starting.

**_Spiky Mom:_ ** Haru is correct. Sleep is one of the most important factors in being a good student. Exactly what time did you go to sleep, Ryuji?

**_Beauty Cat:_ ** Knowing him, he probably stayed up all night reading manga or something.

**_Dumbass Inari:_ ** I’m inclined to agree. Ryuji most likely went to sleep about two hours ago and will be half-unconscious in class later today.

**_Skull Bash:_ ** Oh c’mon! Why’re you guys ganging up on me?

**_Skull Bash:_ ** I got a perfectly decent amount of sleep.

**_Beauty Cat:_ ** Sure.

**_Dumbass Inari:_ ** Intense doubt.

**_Spiky Mom:_ ** Uh-huh.

**_Garden Princess:_ ** I believe you, Ryu-kun. I think…

**_Skull Bash:_ ** Screw you guys!

**_Beauty Cat:_ ** We’re in the same homeroom this year so don’t worry. I’ll make sure he stays wide awake.

**_Key Item <3: _ **You guys are lively today.

**_Spiky Mom:_ ** Oh, good morning, Akira.

**_Beauty Cat:_ ** Hey there, Akira!

**_Skull Bash:_ ** What’s up, dude! You’re up early.

**_Garden Princess:_ ** Akira-kun! It’s rare to see you online at this hour.

**_Dumbass Inari:_ ** What is our former leader up to this morning?

**_Key Item <3: _ **Getting used to waking up early again.

**_Key Item <3: _ **As much as I don’t want to.

**_Skull Bash:_ ** Man, you’re so lucky your classes don’t start till next week.

**_Spiky Mom:_ ** Akira is doing the smart thing and waking up earlier to prepare for classes.

**_Dumbass Inari:_ ** A certain someone should have taken similar steps last week.

**_Beauty Cat:_ ** He means you, Ryuji.

**_Skull Bash:_ ** Shut it!

**_Key Item <3: _ **Follow in my footsteps and become a sleep lord.

**_Skull Bash:_ ** Not you too, man.

**_Garden Princess:_ ** Shouldn’t Futaba-chan be up and getting ready as well?

**_Beauty Cat:_ ** Yeah… Hopefully, she’ll wake up in time. She was pretty antsy about school yesterday.

**_Spiky Mom:_ ** It is her first time attending school in years, after all. There must be a lot on her mind now.

**_Dumbass Inari:_ ** I cannot imagine her getting much sleep like that. Especially since she usually stays up well into the night and wakes up in the afternoon

**_Skull Bash:_ ** I’m sure she’s fine. Boss is there with her.

**_Key Item <3: _ **I’ll give her a call, just in case.

**_Garden Princess:_ ** Good idea!

**_Beauty Cat:_ ** Wouldn’t want her to end up late on her first day.

**_Beauty Cat:_ ** Like a particular pair of idiots.

**_Skull Bash:_ ** Oh, come on! That was all Kamoshida’s fault and you know it!

**_Key Item <3: _ **Explaining that to Kawakami-sensei was not a good time.

**_Beauty Cat:_ ** The look on her face when you gave your introduction four hours after everyone else was a good one.

**_Key Item <3: _ **Imagine being right next to her.

**_Spiky Mom:_ ** I do remember hearing about that during the first student council meeting.

**_Spiky Mom:_ ** It certainly didn’t help your delinquent reputation.

**_Garden Princess:_ ** Even I got to hear some of the rumors about Akira-kun. You were the talk of the town for some time.

**_Dumbass Inari:_ ** It seems Akira just has a natural ability to garner attention wherever he goes.

**_Key Item <3: _ **It certainly wasn’t good attention.

**_Key Item <3: _ **Anyways, I’m gonna call Futaba and probably go back to sleep afterwards.

**_Key Item <3: _ **See you guys later.

**_Skull Bash:_ ** What happened to being a sleep lord?!

**_Key Item <3: _ **I’ll try again tomorrow.

**_Beauty Cat:_ ** Later, Akira!

**_Dumbass Inari:_ ** Good night, Akira.

**_Garden Princess:_ ** Have a good rest!

**_Spiky Mom:_ ** I expect you to stay awake tomorrow.

**_Spiky Mom:_ ** And you guys are on your way to class, yes?

**_Skull Bash:_ ** Almost at Aoyama-Itchome. The train was a little delayed.

**_Dumbass Inari:_ ** There is a beautiful couple walking across the street with their dog.

**_Dumbass Inari:_ ** I would like to watch them for a bit longer before heading inside.

**_Spiky Mom:_ ** That sounds like you, Yusuke. Just don’t be late.

**_Beauty Cat:_ ** I’m already in the classroom. Just waiting for the teacher and the other students.

**_Skull Bash:_ ** Ann, you know who our homeroom teacher is?

**_Beauty Cat:_ ** I heard it was someone called Ms. Toriyama. Apparently, she’s even stricter than Ushimaru.

**_Skull Bash:_ ** How are you more of a hardass than someone who threw chalk at you if he felt like it?

**_Dumbass Inari:_ ** To be fair, that does seem like a sound method of getting your class to focus.

**_Beauty Cat:_ ** I… can’t really deny that.

**_Garden Princess:_ ** Oh, Ms. Toriyama was my homeroom teacher last year!

**_Spiky Mom:_ ** She is also the geology teacher. We had quite a few conversations about student council matters back then.

**_Skull Bash:_ ** You guys got any tips? Does she throw stuff at you too?

**_Garden Princess:_ ** Not at all. It’s actually much worse than that.

**_Garden Princess:_ ** Whenever her patience is at its lowest, the glare she gives to students is as frightening as being inflicted with Despair.

**_Spiky Mom:_ ** Indeed. I’ve seen students nearly burst into tears after being stared down like that. I even had to council some of them and remind them that she is only a teacher.

**_Garden Princess:_ ** There was one problem student who loved to show up late and bully other students. After a single talk with Ms. Toriyama, he became an honors student.

**_Garden Princess:_ ** Before that though, he had to take two weeks off of school to apparently recover from the mental trauma.

**_Beauty Cat:_ ** You guys are exaggerating… right?

**_Skull Bash:_ ** Yeah, you both are totally bullshitting right now.

**_Dumbass Inari:_ ** Someone that can reduce even the most rebellious students to nothing more than than a crying child must be extraordinary. I’d like to meet this Toriyama someday.

**_Dumbass Inari:_ ** I feel as if such an encounter would inspire my next art piece.

**_Garden Princess:_ ** I have to admit, it was a really useful ability for a teacher to have.

**_Skull Bash:_ ** More like for a demon! There’s no way you guys are for real.

**_Spiky Mom:_ ** You’ll have to see for yourself then.

**_Beauty Cat:_ ** Hopefully not.

**_Beauty Cat:_ ** Then again, she might be able make Ryuji focus on class.

**_Skull Bash:_ ** Stop acting like you’re the honors student here, Ms. I’m-Only-Good-At-English.

**_Beauty Cat:_ ** You wanna compare last year’s grades? Or the year before?

 

_Several people are typing…_

 

Futaba couldn’t help her cackles. Sojiro didn’t bother to question it. The beaming smile on her face was good enough for the father. Between the personal nicknames she set for everyone, the group chat name, Ann and Ryuji’s arguments and the thought of a big, muscular senior being psychologically bullied into becoming a good student, Futaba had too much to laugh about.  Now caught up on the chat, she began to text back the former Phantom Thieves, her best friends.

 

**_Skull Bash:_ ** I bet I can get better grades than you this year, you idiot!

**_Beauty Cat:_ ** Alright, moron, let’s bet on it then. And when you lose, you are definitely paying me ASAP!

**_HoneyOTU:_** You guys think that teacher could take on Sojiro in an angry stare competition?

**_Spiky Mom:_ ** There you are, Futaba. I was beginning to get worried.

**_Garden Princess:_ ** Good morning, Futaba-chan! I’m glad you’re awake.

**_Skull Bash:_ ** You’re on your way right? If you’re still in Yongen, you’re not making it in time.

**_Beauty Cat:_ ** Hey, Futaba! How are you feeling?

**_Dumbass Inari:_ ** Ah, you’re actually up. I was certain you would only get out of bed long after class was over.

**_HoneyOTU_** _sent a picture_

**_Spiky Mom:_ ** Already in the car with Boss? That’s good to see.

**_HoneyOTU:_ ** Yeah, he says we have like five minutes left.

**_HoneyOTU:_ ** Sorry for not talking earlier though! After Akira called, I forgot to check my phone.

**_HoneyOTU:_ ** Also, shut it, Inari. I bet that couple you’re stalking knows you’re a creep.

**_Dumbass Inari:_ ** Quite the statement coming from someone who can look through any video camera in the country.

**_HoneyOTU:_ ** ୧(๑•̀ᗝ•́)૭

**_HoneyOTU:_ ** You wanna fight after school?!

**_Garden Princess:_ ** I’m glad you two can still get along so well.

**_Beauty Cat:_ ** That’s not exactly what I would call it…

**_Spiky Mom:_ ** Anyways, it’s surprising that you of all people forgot to check your phone?

**_Skull Bash:_ ** Yeah, that doesn't sound like you. How ya feelin?

**_HoneyOTU:_ ** Excited! And scared! And excited!

**_HoneyOTU:_ ** But also scared. And tired. Waking up this early everyday is gonna be like grinding but the reward is terrible.

**_Spiky Mom:_ ** You’ll get used to it as you start sleeping earlier. And I promise you a school environment isn’t as crazy as you’re making it out to be.

**_Garden Princess:_ ** And you’re a very amazing person, Futaba-chan. You’ve handled a lot worse than school.

**_Beauty Cat:_ ** Ryuji and I will be there with you too! We know you can get through it just fine.

**_Skull Bash:_ ** Dude, you’re a genius so your grades are gonna be great. And if anyone tries to mess with you, lemme know and I’ll beat the shit out of them.

**_Spiky Mom:_ ** Or we could solve the situation with a much less violent method.

**_Dumbass Inari:_ ** Quite frankly, your classmates should be much more frightened of you than you are of them.

**_HoneyOTU:_ ** You asshole…

**_HoneyOTU:_ ** But thanks, guys. I know I’m freaking out pretty badly right now. Just gotta calm down and give myself the confidence power boost.

**_HoneyOTU:_ ** I got this!

**_HoneyOTU:_ ** (•̀o•́)ง

**_Garden Princess:_ ** Of course!

**_Skull Bash:_ ** Hell yeah!

**_Beauty Cat:_ ** Yup!

**_Spiky Mom:_ ** No doubt.

**_Dumbass Inari:_ ** Indeed.

**_Dumbass Inari:_ ** Anyways, homeroom is starting soon so I’ll begin to head inside. Goodbye for now, friends.

**_Beauty Cat:_ ** Later, Yusuke!

**_Beauty Cat:_ ** Almost everyone is here too. Where are you, Ryuji?

**_Skull Bash:_ ** Going up the stairs now! Talk to you guys later!

**_Garden Princess:_ ** Bye, Ryu-kun! Yusuke-kun!

**_Spiky Mom:_ ** What about you, Futaba?

**_HoneyOTU:_ ** Pretty much there. Sojiro just has to find a spot to stop.

**_HoneyOTU:_ ** I’ll keep you guys updated though. Later!

**_Garden Princess:_ ** I have full faith in you, Futaba-chan! See you later.

**_Spiky Mom:_ ** Myself as well. Goodbye and good luck, Futaba.

**_Beauty Cat:_ ** Let’s meet up during lunch! I heard the rooftop door got opened up again.

**_HoneyOTU:_ ** For sure!  


**_Spiky Mom:_ ** Pretty sure it’s still off-limits though…

 

With that, Futaba turned her phone screen off, a wide grin on her face. Her best friends were still her best friends. They would always do their utmost to support her. It was something the young girl appreciated dearly. Sojiro took a breath of relief as the car finally pulled to a stop. It was parked right across the street from the entrance gate.

“We made it. Right on time too.” The restaurant owner couldn’t help the smile he wore.  Turning the car off, he continued. “Here we are, Futaba.”

Shujin Academy. A prestigious academy that, despite being the place of many scandals and rumors over the past year, was still incredibly renowned as one of the top schools of the country. After the mess of Suguru Kamoshida, Principal Kobayakawa and the Phantom Thieves, the school staff made its best efforts to clean up and keep the school a safe and healthy environment for students to develop their academic skills. A large part of this “School Rebirth Project” could be attributed to the workings of the new principal, Natsuki Shiryu. She was a warm yet firm businesswoman, knowing when to compromise for the sake of her students but also knowing when to not back down if complications arose. Her strictness was a great asset to the school and her kindness was something that Futaba and Sojiro highly respected after they met a while back to discuss Futaba going to school. The young girl always felt an awkward mix of scared out of her mind and weirdly comfortable whenever the principal was around.

Both of the family members got out of the car and stared at the academy. Futaba couldn’t help but gulp. A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead despite the April breeze being quite chill. It wasn’t like this was her first time at Shujin. More like her fifth actually. She first came here with Akira to complete one of the goals on her promise list. The second time was to check out the school festival with the Phantom Thieves and see what intel they could get from Goro Akechi. Both the third and fourth times were when she took her entrance exams. Shujin Academy was actually quite familiar to her.

Even though she told herself that, Futaba’s nervousness was still very apparent. After all, Akira had been with her the first two times and there was no time to be nervous when she was focusing on the tests the last two times.

This time was different. Totally different. This was going to be the start of a whole new chapter in her life. She took multiple deep breaths, letting the fresh air flow in and out. Breath in, breath out. She was fine. This was fine.

This was what her and the Phantom Thieves fought so hard for.

This was what her and Akira worked so hard for.

This was what Sojiro always did his best for.

This was what Mom would have wanted.

Futaba clenched both her fists and nodded. A growl of determination escaped her lips. She wasn’t about to let all that effort put on her go to waste. Sojiro watched in silence. His daughter never ceased to amaze him. As difficult as this was, he knew she would keep putting one foot in front of the other. Nothing could stop her.

Futaba turned to face her dad, a strangely excited expression on her face. She waved goodbye to Sojiro in an almost-mechanical manner.

“Alright, Sojiro. You gotta open LeBlanc soon and I gotta punch tests in the face. I’m heading off!” She almost got two steps away before Sojiro walked over and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Hey. You got my number if you need _anything_. And I mean that. I’ll close up shop immediately if you need me to head over here.” The glow of the morning sun felt brighter to the teenager as her father continued. “And it’s not just me. The principal will help you out. Your friends are there. And even if he’s a few hours away, Akira is always supporting you. We’re all rooting for you, Futaba. Don’t eve-”

Sojiro stopped in shock and slight pain as Futaba careened into him, arms wrapped around his back, face planted in his chest. It took some strength not to fall under the surprise weight that just hit him.

It took a moment for the old man to realize what was happening. Time stopped for him. While these two family members were without a doubt much closer than in previous years, hugs were extremely rare. With a look that could only be described as joy, he held Futaba with all his heart.

“Dumbo Sojiro. Don’t say all that feelsy stuff when I’m trying to get to class without my glasses fogging up. Geez.”

As much as Futaba tried to conceal it, Sojiro felt the slight sniffle. A small chuckle came out of him as he softly patted his daughter’s head. His hand felt hard and calloused from decades of work and yet, it was comfortable. Familiar. Loving. The hand of somebody who believed in her from the very beginning. Futaba wished this moment could have lasted a lot longer.

But she knew what had to be done. With a few more deep breaths, Futaba let go of him. No tears, no sniffles. Only the most beautiful smile Sojiro had ever seen.

“Alright. See ya later, Dad.” With a much more natural wave of her hand, Futaba began to walk toward the school gate.

“Heh. See you later, Futaba.”

Dad. That was a sacred word that was said maybe twice before? He admittedly loved to hear it from her and would not mind hearing it more often. He was her dad, no doubt about it. With an expression of pure happiness, Sojiro got back in the car and drove back to LeBlanc.

Futaba was at the gate of Shujin Academy. She could see tons of other students heading inside. Some of them were rushing. Some of them were casually talking with friends. Some were older than her. Some were younger. Others were her age. These would be her peers for the next two years. She was one of them. A student going to school to learn and decide where her future was going.

She used to be a shut-in, afraid of people and herself. Afraid of living. Afraid of everything. Everywhere she looked, there was naught but walls of despair. Emptiness. There was no way out for her because she didn’t deserve a way out. There was no purpose in anything because above all, she hated herself. Her mom died because she was a terrible daughter, so she wanted to die. She deserved to die.

But she’s moved past all of that now. She had much more confidence in herself. Sure, people were still kinda scary and sure, she was kinda awkward around them. But she’s become a much more courageous person than she was before. School would be tough. But everything else was tough too. Way tougher. Defeating corrupted adults and saving the world from a god definitely counts as way tougher. And everyone that helped get her through all that was still with her. Ryuji. Mona. Ann. Makoto. Maybe Inari. Haru. Kana-chan. Akira. Sojiro. Even her mother. They were all still with her and would do their best for her on this next step of her life.

No, not the next step but rather, the beginning of her second life. All she needed to do was do the best for herself. With a grin full of bravery and heart, Futaba Sakura went past the gate, up the stairs and into Shujin Academy. Into the start of her second life.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> This is my 1st time posting on AO3~ I've written fanfics here and there but lost motivation a few years ago and stopped. Persona 5 (and especially Futaba jfc I love her) brought that back in a heartbeat! This was originally going to be a quick piece on how I envisioned Futaba's first day of school would go but ideas just kept coming to me and they didn't stop. Now it's going to be a whole series focusing on the ShuFuta pair, both during the in-game events and in post-canon! So this piece kinda serves as an intro to everything I have planned. Hope you all liked it!
> 
> Some notes:
> 
> -I rewatched the Satanael scene so many times to get that dream part accurately. And then added ShuFuta cuteness to it loool.
> 
> -Dates, times and locations are hopefully accurate since I did too much research lmao
> 
> -Writing Futaba was a little tough here. She's had all the character development of her Confidant and end-game stuff but school presents a totally new challenge for her. She was excited about it during her goodbye scene in-game but I imagine there's a lot on her mind at the thought of going back to school. Especially since her past experience with it was pretty terrible, which is why she goes back and forth a lot between confident and frightened in here. Hopefully it didn't feel like I undermined her development or anything though!
> 
> -I mainly wanted to show that even though Futaba is still dealing with her anxiety and will definitely struggle at multiple points, she's a strong and capable person who can definitely overcome all of it. She has her friends, she has her dad and she has her beloved boyfriend to support her as well~
> 
> -There's definitely a lot of foreshadowing/references of stuff I plan to cover later! Akira's side of things, his hometown, his family, what exactly happened with Goro, the new principal etc. It'll take quite some time though haha.
> 
> -I feel like some parts could have been made shorter (The dream and the uniform parts mainly). Gotta work on my pacing more!
> 
> -I took a few liberties with Shujin's uniform policy since it seems like the main cast just wore whatever they wanted other than the skirt/pants lmao
> 
> -Futaba not liking skirts after Wakaba's death is a headcanon of mine. In-game and in official art, she's always wearing either shorts or pants so the idea kinda just came to me. I don't count the costumes in P5D since they're only just costumes and never worn in like actual cutscenes or anything (afaik). She can definitely rock a skirt though~ 
> 
> -I love writing these text conversations. Just think of the messaging app they're using as something like Discord mixed with the one they were using in-game. The Phantom Thieves are way too adorable~ Futaba having hundreds of emoticons ready for use whenever she wants also gives her too much power. Never let her set nicknames or the group chat title again.
> 
> -I know university starts later than middle/high school in a lot of locations, I assumed it would for Japan too. And Akira's situation is a little unique so he also gets to start school a little later.
> 
> -Sojiro is literally the sweetest dad and I loved every interaction him and Futaba had, especially in his Confidant. Hopefully I expressed that properly!
> 
> -If you know what Futaba was referencing with Kana's chat nickname, we are automatically best friends.
> 
>  
> 
> I'm actually halfway through the 2nd chapter already so ideally I should be uploading it by next week? I can't promise anything though since I take a pretty long time to write in general and I get distracted by FGO and fighting games haha. I also work full-time so that gets in the way too. I'll do my best to get it out before the end of July though! I want to be entirely done with all 3 chapters by mid-to-late August so I can get started on the next piece before September.
> 
> I think that's everything I wanted to say? Probably missed something since I'm posting this at 9 AM and I've been awake for basically 24 hours lmao. But please let me know what you thought! If you have any comments, critiques, advice, or feedback, I'd definitely appreciate it~ This is the first fic I've written in a loooong time and I had a bunch of fun with it!
> 
> Thank you guys so much for reading! If you wanna talk to me about anything, hit me up on twitter [@DawnofScrubs](https://twitter.com/DawnofScrubs)


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